Characterization of CMOS devices for VLSI

CMOS bulk and SOS technologies are discussed for VLSI with emphasis on static and dynamic characteristics of two-input NAND gates. Optimum performance (minimum figure of merit FM = tpdPd) is obtained for a CMOS/SOS two-input NAND gate (FO = 2, CL= 22 fF) with an electrical channel length L = 0.75 µm, channel width W = 5.0 µm, and oxide thickness Xo= 450 Å with VDD= 3.0 V, to yield tpd= 400 ps and Pd= 250 µW (tpdPd= 100 fJ) at room temperature. Bulk technology performs within a factor of 2 of SOS for tpdand Pd. CMOS technologies offer subnanosecond propagation delays, similar to ECL bipolar, at the low submilliwatt power levels of CMOS. An analytical expression for tpddescribes the performance of two-input NAND gates in terms of device modeling and fabrication parameters. Such an expression provides a hierarchial modeling approach to characterize minicells for VLSI.     

Quadruple-well CMOS for VLSI technology

A novel process has been developed to fabricate high-density CMOS with four wells. These wells are self aligned to increase packing density. Two of them are relatively deep wells used to optimize both n- and p-channel active devices. The other two are shallow wells under field oxide to form channel stops for both device types. The channel stops provide rigorous isolation among similar devices and between the devices of the opposite polarity. Subthreshold leakage currents in isolation regions are <0.05 pA/µm when devices are biased at <16.5 V. The channel stops also suppress lateral parasitic bipolar action. To reduce the vertical bipolar gain, a new process technique employing a double-retrograde well and transient annealing has been established. For the CMOS structure with 2-µm p⁺-to-p-well spacing, we have eliminated latchup by suppressing the beta product to below unity. Moreover, the quadruple-well approach has produced active n- and p-channel FET's with excellent characteristics such as low threshold voltage (∼±0.5 V), low subthreshold slope (≲95 mV/dec), low contact resistivity (∼10^-7Ω-cm²), and high channel mobility (620 and 210 cm²/V . s).     

Selective epitaxy for CMOS VLSI

Scaling CMOS for VLSI is difficult owing to increasing latchup susceptibility and lateral diffusion of the well which limits packing density. A novel solution to these problems is presented, using selective epitaxial deposition to refill etched wells. In conjunction with a buried-layer implant, a retrograde well profile is achieved with a low sheet resistivity (440 Ω), giving reduced latchup susceptibility. Shallow wells can be used (typically 1 µm) with source/drain-to-well breakdown voltages greater than 9.5 V. Transistor characteristics are good with a long-channel mobility of 192 cm²/V.s and subthreshold slope of 100-mV/decade for a 2.5-µm channel length.     

Iddq testing for CMOS VLSI

It is little more than 15-years since the idea of Iddq testing was first proposed. Many semiconductor companies now consider Iddq testing as an integral part of the overall testing for all IC's. This paper describes the present status of Iddq testing along with the essential items and necessary data related to Iddq testing. As part of the introduction, a historical background and discussion is given on why this test method has drawn attention. A section on physical defects with in-depth discussion and examples is used to illustrate why a test method outside the voltage environment is required. Data with additional information from case studies is used to explain the effectiveness of Iddq testing. In Section IV, design issues, design styles, Iddq test vector generation and simulation methods are discussed. The concern of whether Iddq testing will remain useful in deep submicron technologies is addressed (Section V). The use of Iddq testing for reliability screening is described (Section VI). The current measurement methods for Iddq testing are given (Section VII) followed by comments on the economics of Iddq testing (Section VIII). In Section IX pointers to some recent research are given and finally, concluding remarks are given in Section X     

A Design Style for VLSI CMOS

CMOS is an attractive technology for the realization of VLSI systems. However conventional static CMOS design techniques lead to circuits which are slower and much less densely packed than equivalent NMOS circuits. After a brief review of precharge-discharge techniques, a novel method for designing clocked dynamic CMOS is described. This uses a four-phsse clocking scheme that is free from race and charge-sharing problems and results in faster, more compact layouts. A test chip and a full custom 25 000 transistor serial signal processing chip have been designed using this technique. Results obtained by probing the test ship are presented.     

CMOS VLSI设计技术

本文从电路组态,逻辑组态、匹配技术和设计方法上讨论了CMOS VLSI设计技术,以及如何实现高速低功耗和高门密度设计.     

Switched-capacitor broadband noise generator for CMOS VLSI

A switched-capacitor circuit is reported for the generation of broadband white noise in MOS VLSI. It is based on the implementation of a very simple chaotic discrete-time system. The concept is demonstrated via a 3 mu m CMOS double-metal double-poly monolithic prototype yielding a 4 V peak-to-peak signal with a flat power density spectrum from DC to about half the clock frequency.<>     

几种CMOS VLSI的低功耗BIST技术

在分析全扫描内建自测试(BIST)较高测试功耗的基础上,总结出几种CMOS VLSI的低功耗BIST技术方案,包括减少待测电路(CUT)输入端的翻转次数、简化线性反馈移位寄存器(LFSR)结构、部分扫描低功耗BIST方法等.分析结果表明,这些方法不但在保证测试覆盖率的条件下,降低了测试平均功耗和峰值功耗,而且综合应用这几种方法将会使系统功耗指标达到最佳.     

Punchthrough current for submicrometer MOSFETs in CMOS VLSI

Simulated and measured data show that drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) in buried-channel MOSFETs is different from that in surface channel (SC) MOSFETs. This is explained by the differences between channel current paths and channel potential distribution. A new parameter, defined as the incremental voltage that the drain can sustain before the punchthrough current increases by an order of magnitude, is used to indicate the rate of increase of punchthrough current and is a measure of DIBL     

CMOS VLSI ESD保护电路设计技术

本文对CMOSVLSI芯片ESD失效现象及其ESD事件发生机理进行了分析,介绍了CMOSVLSIESD保护电路设计技术。使用具有大电流放电性能的MOS器件构成的ESD电路,以及采用周密的版图布局布线技术,可实现良好的ESD保护性能。     

Self-aligned ion implant masking for CMOS VLSI technology

Conventional self-aligned ion implantation masking is often inadequate in CMOS VLSI fabrication. We describe a method of increasing this ion implant masking with minimal additional processing. Scanning electron micrographs portray the enhanced ion implant masking.     

Low-power encodings for global communication in CMOS VLSI

Technology trends and especially portable applications are adding a third dimension (power) to the previously two-dimensional (speed, area) VLSI design space. A large portion of power dissipation in high performance CMOS VLSI is due to the inherent difficulties in global communication at high rates and we propose several approaches to address the problem. These techniques can be generalized at different levels in the design process. Global communication typically involves driving large capacitive loads which inherently require significant power. However, by carefully choosing the data representation, or encoding, of these signals, the average and peak power dissipation can be minimized. Redundancy can be added in space (number of bus lines), time (number of cycles) and voltage (number of distinct amplitude levels). The proposed codes can be used on a class of terminated off-chip board-level buses with level signaling, or on tristate on-chip buses with level or transition signaling     

CMOS sensors for on-line thermal monitoring of VLSI circuits

The paper presents appropriate sensors for the realization of the design principle of design for thermal testability (DfTT). After a short overview of the available CMOS temperature sensors, a new family of temperature sensors will be presented, developed by the authors especially for the purpose of thermal monitoring of VLSI chips. These sensors are characterized by the very low silicon area of about 0.003-0.02 mm² and the low power consumption (200 μW). The accuracy is in the order of 1°C. Using the frequency-output versions an easy interfacing of digital test circuitry is assured. They can be very easily incorporated into the usual test circuitry, via the boundary-scan architecture. The paper presents measured results obtained by the experimental circuits. The facilities provided by the sensor connected to the boundary-scan test circuitry are also demonstrated experimentally     

一种适用于VLSI MOS器件的阈电压模型

本文从等效浓度的观点出发,提出了一种适用于VLSI MOS器件的阈电压模型,数值结果与二维模拟基本一致。叙述了确定实际阈电压的步骤,可作为器件工艺监控的简便方法。     

A comparative study of CMOS processes for VLSI applications

A comparative study of simulated circuit performance has been made in order to determine the optimum process parameters for p-well CMOS with feature sizes of between 1 and 2 µm. it has been found that for the process considered, best speed, Power, and packing density are achieved with a substrate concentration of between 3 × 10¹⁵and 10¹⁶cm^-3and an operating voltage which is as low as possible. Higher speed can be attained at the expense of considerably more power dissipation through the use of a higher rail voltage. Silicon-on-insulator CMOS has been considered as an alternative to p-well CMOS. This technology can be expected to out-perform small geometry bulk silicon CMOS if recent improvements in material quality can be maintained.     

Sensitivity-based CMOS VLSI circuit performance optimisation

Sensitivity models are presented for propagation delay and average power dissipation which provide low-cost and accurate differential performance information not previously available. A sensitivity-based optimisation technique is compared with a formal mathematical optimisation technique and the results demonstrate that accurate VLSI circuit performance optimisation is now feasible     

Parasitic transistor effects in CMOS VLSI

Parasitic field-effect transistor (FETs) and bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) in a CMOS circuit are described, along with their interactions with each other and their effect on circuit performance. The results are considered to be useful for setting up design rules between n-channel and p-channel active transistors in CMOS IC layout. Novel parasitic transistors associated with next-generation VLSI technologies, such as trench isolation and silicon-on-insulator, are discussed briefly     

TaSi2gate for VLSI CMOS circuits

It is shown, that lateral shrinkage of 2-µm CMOS devices and reduction of the gate oxide thickness to about 20 nm is significantly facilitated by replacing the n⁺-poly-Si or polycide gates by TaSi2. Due to its higher work function, TaSi2allows the simultaneous reduction of the channel doping in the n-channel and the charge compensation in the p-channel without changing the threshold voltages. Thus compared with n⁺-poly-Si gate n-channel transistors substrate sensitivity and substrate current are reduced, and low-level breakdown strength is raised. In p-channel transistors, the subthreshold current behavior and UT(L)-dependence are improved. Consequently, the channel length of both n- and p-channel transistors can be reduced by about 0.5 µm without significant degradation. The MOS characteristics Nss, flatband and threshold voltage stability, and dielectric strength appear similar for TaSi2and n+-poly Si gate transistors.